Commercialization of Small Scale Cogeneration Technologies

April 16, 2009 - PRLog -- Whenever you turn on the heater in your car, you are cogenerating. The heat your engine would normally pass out through its radiator is used to warm the passenger compartment as you drive. The gas in your tank is providing both the power to drive your car and the heat to keep you warm. Using one fuel to produce two beneficial work outputs is cogeneration.

In small-scale cogeneration, the two work outputs are usually electricity and hot water and the single fuel input is generally natural gas. The waste heat from the engine is channeled through heat exchangers to heat water that would normally have been heated by a separate hot water heater.

Because cogeneration produces two usable energy sources from a single fuel, it operates more efficiently than other sources of energy. Consequently, it saves money. In fact, cogeneration turns up to 90% of the fuel burned into usable energy. That compares with just 52% of the fuel burned in most local power plants or in a typical hot water heater. That difference in efficiency can save beaucoup bucks.

Returns on investment of capital range from 25 to 50% when cogeneration is properly applied to a facility - be it a home, commercial operation or an industry. Not only are economics involved in using cogeneration, but there are environmental and conservational benefits, too. Fifty-six percent less fuel burned will create 56% less pollutants in the atmosphere. Fifty-six percent less fuel burned will be 56% more fuel available for future generations of energy users.

A wide variety of commercial and industrial businesses are using cogeneration to cut costs and conserve energy and the environment:

   * Fitness centers are a natural for cogeneration because of the hot water they use in spas, swimming pools and showers.
   * Wastewater treatment plants use cogeneration by burning a combination of biogas and natural gas to generate electricity and hot water.
   * Municipalities use cogeneration to heat swimming pools and air condition associated meeting and fitness centers.
   * Food processors use cogeneration to cook and pasteurize their products while generating electricity for internal consumption.
   * Casinos are using cogeneration in conjunction with absorber-chillers to cool and electrify their facilities.
   * Hotels use cogeneration for guest room hot water, laundry hot water, kitchen hot water as well as heating their pools and spas while generating a percentage of their electrical needs.
   * Hospitals are cogenerating for heating therapy pools to over 90 degrees, sterilizing operating instruments, and general hot water needs while making most of their electrical needs.

The typical cogeneration system is no bigger than an executive desk, and just about as quiet, too. Placed on site, it ties in with the existing hot water heating system and electrical distribution system to provide the facility with the first line in heating water and electrifying the facility.

So why isn’t cogeneration more widely used? It’s not for every application.  First, it must be determined that there is a need for the products of cogeneration. Electricity is almost a given as it would be hard to envision any facility that does not use electricity. The other product, i.e. hot water, steam, or air conditioning, requires some additional analysis. Cogeneration is most appropriate in situations where abundant hot water, steam or AC is required.

The report examines cogeneration in detail and explores numerous factors such as the technical and mechanical principles underlying cogeneration, the growth drivers for this technology, the global market appetite, barriers and issues, and key players in the industry. The report also cites many detailed case studies.

About the Publisher: "Commercialization of Small Scale Cogeneration Technologies" is published by Energy Business Reports (www.EnergyBusinessReports.com), an energy industry think tank and leading source for energy industry information and research products.  View report details:  http://www.energybusinessreports.com/shop/item.asp?itemid...

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Energy Business Reports publishes cutting-edge business research and analysis reports in the global energy industry including power, oil and gas, and renewables markets.